Balance
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: Adam is shot at the Degrassi prom and with this event comes the realization to Eli and Clre that life is too short. For too long, they've been denying their true feelings when, all along, they're the perfect balance for each other.


**So there's a lot of speculation that Adam will be shot in next weeks prom episode. In the TeenNick promo, there's a shot of someone on the ground and Katie, Clare and Eli around them. Clare looks like she's crying or about to cry and Eli and the person the ground are holding onto each others arms (the person on the ground is also wearing a white shirt. Adam is wearing a white shirt to prom). Also, in the much music promo, toward the end there is someone that sounds like either Eli or Adam crying and saying, "Be okay please." My theory…Adam either takes a bullet for Drew or is shot by accident.**

**Anyways, that inspired this little fanfic. Enjoy!**

**Also, thank you so much to _Caitlynnn on twitter, who recommended the song in this fanfic, **_**Birds and Boats **_**by Gregory and the Hawk.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or the song **_**Birds and Boats**_**.**

Eli and Clare sat in the eerily silent waiting room of the hospital. It was prom night…it's supposed to be the best night of your high school life, right?

So how did Degrassi's prom go so horribly wrong? Eli and Clare weren't sure exactly why what had happened tonight happened. Sure, they had heard the rumors that Drew Torres got mixed up with gang stuff over Spring Break.

But no one ever expected a gang member to come to prom. No one expected him to have a gun. No one expected him to shoot and Drew.

And no one expected Adam to jump in front of the bullet to save his brother.

Chaos erupted after that. Eli, Clare, Drew and Katie rushed to Adam's side. Blood was slowly staining his white dress shirt.

Ms. Oh rushed over to them, assuring them an ambulance was on its way. Drew seemed to be in shock and Clare and Katie were crying as Adam slowly reached out and grabbed Eli's arm. Eli looked down at his best friend, seeing the fear and pain etched into his face. Eli grabbed Adam's arm back, tears springing to his eyes and a lump rising to his throat.

"Be okay, please," he whispered to his best friend. Shortly after the ambulance came, Mrs. Torres came and took Drew, Katie, Clare and Eli over to the hospital.

The wait for news on Adam seemed an eternity long. Katie had her head resting on Drew's shoulder as silent tears fell down his face.

Clare and Eli had sat next to each other. Clare noticed Eli's hands shaking and put a gentle, small hand on his wrist. He looked up at her and a silent understanding passed between the two.

After what seemed like, forever, a doctor came out.

He said Adam would be okay, although they would be keeping him overnight. Turned out that what Adam used to bind down his chest actually helped slow the bullet.

Adam was a sleep when they went in to see him, but clearly breathing.

Mrs. Torres had burst into tears and Drew went over to comfort her.

Eli, Clare and Katie thought it best to give the family some privacy.

Katie left after her mom came to pick her up. Eli and Clare were waiting for Bullfrog to come pick them up after he got off work.

"Here," Clare said softly, handing Eli the box of tissues the receptionist had given them. Eli still had tears falling down his cheeks.

"Thanks," he said, taking the box with shaking hands. Clare took one of Eli's shaking hands in hers.

"He'll be fine," she said softly, a small smile on her face, "It's okay Eli. He's alive." Eli was the most emotional guy Clare had ever met. He never hid his emotions and didn't try to fight back tears when they wanted to fall. Clare liked that Eli was always so comfortable at showing his emotions, where as most guys would hold them in.

Eli avoided Clare's avoided Clare's eyes. This moment...it reminded him too much of when they were together. Of all the times she was there for him, helped him, held him together.

"I miss this…" Eli whispered, barley realizing the words that had just left his lips.

_If you be my star, I'll be your sky_

_You can hide underneath me and come out at night_

_When I turn jet black and you show off your light_

_I live to let you shine_

_I live to let you shine_

"Miss what?" Clare asked. Eli looked up at her, choosing his words carefully.

"This," he said softly, "They way we used to be. Now we're just…awkward…" Clare nodded slowly in agreement. In fact, this was the first time they had been together alone and it hadn't felt awkward or forced.

"Things happen," Clare mumbled, "Besides, you have Imogen…" To Clare, Imogen was the perfect balance for Eli. She was sort of out there and maybe even a bit crazy. She may have been the perfect balance for what was going on in Eli's mind.

_And you can skyrocket away from me_

_And never come back if you find another galaxy_

_Far from here, with more room to fly_

_Just leave me your stardust to remember you by_

"Me and Imogen?" Eli chuckled, "Clare…I'm not dating Imogen."

"B-But, you took her to prom," Clare said, mentally hating herself for the bubble of hope that rose in her chest.

"As friends," Eli said, "Me and Imogen," he wrinkled his nose, "Not exactly a match made in heaven. Back when I was…crazy…she didn't really try to stop me. She even encouraged it a bit. I don't think she had any idea what she was getting into." Clare nodded again, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad you're getting better," she said softly. Each day at Degrassi, even though she wasn't spending time with him, she saw more of the Eli she fell in love with. The mysterious, funny, intelligent unique boy. She noticed him laughing and smiling more often.

"You seem to be doing good too," Eli said, "You and Jake…" Clare let out a huff of breath, sounding annoyed.

"Ummm…did I say something wrong?" Eli asked.

"Jake…broke up with me. Tonight." Clare said. Eli's eyebrows shot up.

"At prom?" he asked, clearly shocked. Who broke up with their girlfriend at _prom _of all places?

"It's for the best I guess," Clare said, "Even after your intervention…me and Jake just weren't meant to be. He doesn't quite…" Clare searched for the words.

"Understand you," Eli finished. Clare looked at him, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yeah," she said. Eli chuckled. He got that feeling about Jake the second he talked to him and Jake told him about not wanting to go see the movie with Clare.

Clare was different from most girls her age. She preferred staying in and watching old movies, reading or writing to going out and partying. She didn't like too much PDA. Her mother's approval was one of the most important things to her. Whenever she was hurting, she just wanted someone to hold her rather than try to kiss the troubled thoughts away.

Eli could remember countless chick flicks he would sit through for Clare. He still remembered the look of hurt in her eyes as she hung up on her mother during her and Eli's first date, when she stayed out past curfew. He remembered the nights when she would come over his house and they would just read or write together, enjoying one another's company.

And Eli remembered the countless times Clare would call or show up on his doorstep, crying after hearing her parents fight. And Eli would hold her, sometimes rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back soothingly.

Eli knew these things about Clare and accepted each one. All he ever wanted to do was make her happy. He wanted to prove to her that every relationship would be like her parents and that she could be free of what seemed like a curse they had bestowed upon her.

_If you be my boat, I'll be your sea_

_A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity_

_Ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze_

_I live to make you free_

_I live to make you free_

It took Eli a while to accept Clare and Jake together. A long time in fact. But when his mind finally cleared…after all the drama with the play and he finally got help…he realized that when you truly loved someone, all you wanted was for them to be happy. And Eli saw how happy Clare was with Jake.

Eli loved Clare enough to let her go.

_But you can set sail to the west if you want to_

_And past the horizon 'till I can't even see you_

_Far from here where the beaches are wide_

_Just leave me your wake to remember you by_

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Eli said, "Coming?" He held out a hand to Clare. Clare hesitated for a moment, and then took Eli's hand.

They walked for a while, holding hands, not quite as a sign of affection, but as a connection. A sign that right now, after all that happened tonight, they were the only things holding each other together.

Soon the bench came into view. _Their _bench. A bench that held countless memories.

Clare let go of Eli's hand and sat down. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes and breathing in the night air. Eli sat next to her, leaving space between them.

"The stars are out," she murmured. Eli looked up and saw stars twinkling down at him.

"Make a wish?" he said softly. Clare closed her eyes again.

"It doesn't matter," Clare said, "I don't think it'll come true."

"What's your wish?" Eli asked. Clare opened her eyes and looked at Eli.

"I wish…we never broke up," she said, her voice cracking slightly. Eli's eyebrows shot up, shocked at Clare's question.

"What we had Eli," she said softly, leaning toward him and taking his hands in hers, "It was…special. We worked together. Like the stars and the sky. We…understood each other. We helped each other. That's something I never had with Jake…and don't think I'll ever have with anyone else."

_If you be my star, I'll be your sky_

_You can hide underneath and come out at night_

_When I turn jet black and you show off your light_

_I live to let you shine_

_I live to let you shine_

"Do you know what you're saying Clare?" Eli asked. More than anything, he wanted to be with Clare. He missed her so much. He missed talking to her, writing with her, holding her, kissing her.

But he didn't want to force or scare or guilt her. This had to be entirely up to her.

_But you can skyrocket away from me_

_And never come back if you find another galaxy_

_Far from here with more room to fly_

_Just leave me your stardust to remember you by_

_Stardust to remember you by_

"Yeah," she said with a small smile, "I know…and I mean it. What happened with Adam tonight made me realize…life is too short to keep questioning and thinking of 'what if's and 'what could have been's. If you spend too much time questioning your life…you might just miss it." She leaned forward and kissed Eli's lips softly. Their lips knew each other immediately and moved in a familiar way. This kiss was much like their first – soft and hesitant – but it held a passion behind it that both teens had been holding in for much too long.

Because Clare was right. Life was too short to question. If an opportunity came, you had to take it. Because you don't want to spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been.

**So there's **_**Balance**_**. I hope you liked it! Thanks again to _Caitlynnn from twitter for the song suggestion! Please Review!**

**Please follow me on twitter! I'll be posting upcoming stories, delays, etc. My name on twitter is **_**MoonlghtSpirit**_**. I'm aware of the misspelling, it was on purpose since **_**MoonlightSpirit **_**was already taken, I just took out the "i". But it is under the name MoonlightSpirit (with an "i" this time) Follow me please! Link on my profile page!**


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